Goodness Gracious
by Objective Mistress
Summary: Korra knew Mako wasn't good for her. That's why they broke up after all of six months. But somehow, she always found herself going back to him. College AU


**Rating:** T

**Word Count:** ~1600

**Summary:** Korra knew Mako wasn't good for her. That's why they broke up after all of six months. But somehow, she always found herself going back to him. College AU

**Author Note:** This is a birthday gift for Maggie! Happy 19th birthday! She requested "angsty with a happy ending," so that's what this is! And you said you liked motorcycles, and college AUs, so I wrote those in too.

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Korra stared at the ceiling, her legs dangling off her lofted dorm bed. Absentmindedly, she toyed with the cell phone in her hands. Her fingers itched to text him again. Tell him to come over, or to ask him to give her a ride to the party she wanted to go to that evening.

Luckily she deleted his number.

Too bad she had it memorized by heart.

"Don't call him Korra."

She groaned and rolled to the edge of the lofted bed, one lazy arm dangling over the guardrail. "I'm not going to call him Asami."

"You told me not to let you," the taller girl held up two shirts against her, checking the color against the maroon dyed jeans she had already picked out for the evening.

It was amazing that she and Asami were still friends. It was a miracle that they hadn't killed each other as roommates sharing a tiny dorm room. The connections between the two roommates and Mako were less of a triangle, and more of a twisting web that at one time threatened to strangle them all.

But the great thing about true friendship is that sometimes a bond between two people can overcome and withstand gales and storms one never thought possible. Yeah, they had a few tearful hugging sessions over Mako. And then there was that time after he hooked back up with Asami after the "breakup," and Korra found out only after she came back from the National Kinesiology Conference. The roommates had a shouting match that got so heated the floor's RA barged in.

Korra stashed her phone in her jeans pocket, and leapt down to the floor.

"Holy hell Korra," Asami clutched the two shirts to her chest. "You know it scares the shit out of me when you do that. You could break your leg."

"It's not a big deal," the smile on her face could only be described as a shit eating grin.

The taller girl sighed. "You know I'm completely over Mako, right?"

"Well you've got that hot piece of ass Iroh, and from what I've…_heard_—"

Soon enough, one of the shirts was thrown into her face. "Hey!" Korra laughed. "Wear that one," she motioned to the one her roommate didn't thrown. "Looks better with your jeans."

Asami grinned and pulled the black patterned button-down over her tank top. "You're coming to the party right?"

"Yeah I'll be there. It isn't BYOB right?"

"Nah, you know Tahno and his gang," she grabbed her purse, "they mix up really good Jungle Juice. Do you want to catch a ride with Iroh?"

"Nah I'll get there," Korra kicked back in her desk chair.

"Don't walk alone, I know you're tough and all but—"

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks mom."

"Oh shut up," Asami smirked.

That was another thing about good friends.

"Bitch," Korra laughed.

Once you got close enough, insults only drew you closer.

"I'll see you there."

She watched her float through the door to meet Iroh and his red convertible. Korra was left in silence.

Without thinking, she pulled up a blank iMessage and typed _his_ number in. She couldn't do this, not again.

Three full months had passed since she broke it off and told him that they weren't going to work. It was just…too hard. Their relationship stopped feeling easy, and started feeling like pulling a red wagon of bricks up a steep hill. And yes, Korra knew from an odd personal experience that pulling bricks up a steep hill was hard. Don't ask, it was a dare from her freshman year.

Yet, over those three months she just couldn't stop calling him. Mako was still the first person she texted in the morning, and the last before she fell asleep. If she needed a hand with something, a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to listen, she called him.

As soon as she got with him, she couldn't control herself. Then there were unintentional bushes of skin and hugs that lasted too long to be strictly platonic. Soon the kisses would follow, and the making out, and the desperate fumblings for release that they would never mention again.

Korra hated this. She hated that she yelled at him and swept his work off the table in the quiet room of the main library. She hated that she ran away to that conference instead of setting things straight. She hated that he left her so quickly. She hated they didn't work.

She just kept calling him and crawling into his arms over and over. She couldn't stop.

Fuck it. Korra needed a ride to the party.

"_Hey can you pick me up on your way to Tahno's?"_

One thing she did love about Mako was how fast he texted back. No sooner had she sent the message, did she get a "read" alert.

"_Yeah of course. I'll be there in 5."_

He never said no.

Korra grabbed her jacket and headed down the three flights of stairs until she reached the main floor. Mako's motorcycle was already parked.

"I wasn't planning on someone else tagging along," he smiled. "You don't mind, do you?"

She loved his motorcycle. "Of course not."

Riding behind him like this felt like second nature. She slid in on the cushion behind him, and wrapped her arms around his body. In the cool night air, she couldn't be sure if the warmth she felt was emanating physically from him, or if it was just a mental trick from their closeness.

Korra rested her cheek against his worn jacket. If only for just a moment, she could pretend that she didn't let him go. She could pretend that they could hold hands and kiss wherever and whenever. She could pretend that tonight would end with them sweaty and sticky beneath a sheet, their legs tangled as they surrendered to sleep together.

But of course, it didn't last.

As soon as they got to the bustling house party, she lost sign of him, and the reality that the end for the evening she had just imagined would probably play out with a different woman set in.

She paid the ridiculous five-dollar cup fee, (but it was easier than lugging a six-pack over as young, eighteen year-old sophomore), and hammered back the mixture of Kool-Aid and vodka, all the while silently thanking Tahno for making it as strong as he usually did. She was going to need it tonight.

Korra danced. She chatted with friends new and old. No matter what she did, she couldn't get Mako off her mind.

"Hey," a familiar gloved hand grabbed her by the arm. "Can we talk for a second? Outside?"

"Can't this wait Mako?" The fog of alcohol had her smiling; she was delightfully buzzed, and she wasn't done yet. "I'm having fun."

"Please?" There was a pleading in his eyes she couldn't turn down.

"Yeah okay."

She let him lead her out on to the lawn. It was quieter, but the throb of the bass from inside still reverberated deeply in her chest, calling her back inside to forget all this nonsense.

"What do you want?" Korra knew he could smell the alcohol on her breath. She couldn't smell any on his.

"We need to talk."

"About what?" She crossed her arms.

"Us."

"T-There's nothing to talk about come on," she sputtered and turned away.

He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and spun her to face him. "Yes, yes there is. You keep…calling me!"

"And you keep saying yes!"

"Because I wish this wasn't just a one-off thing every week," frustration seeped into his voice. "You _know_ that I wanted us to get back together, but you're the one who said we didn't work!"

"Fine!" Korra pushed him back. "We're done." It hurt her more than she would ever admit. "Actually for real this time. No more 'on again off again' stuff, or late texts, or anything! Are you happy now?"

"…No."

"Then what the fuck did you want?"

Suddenly she felt his lips on hers, and his hands were twisting in her hair and cupping her face. By instinct her eyes fluttered shut and she melted into his arms. Her hands fisted in his jacket, her body moving faster than her brain, sluggish and clouded from drinking. But as soon as her mind caught up, she pushed him away.

"W-What was that?" Korra hated that her voice sounded breathy. "I thought we said we were done?"

"We are done," he smiled and tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. "I'm done…not fighting for you." Mako laughed, "That didn't come out clear. I want to still be with you. It might not be easy the whole time, but I know it's worth it."

"A-Are you asking me to get back with you?"

"Y-Yes…I mean only if you want to I—"

She grabbed him by the scarf and pulled him down into another kiss. "What are we sill doing here then if we're back together?"

The couple ran hand in hand, laughing all the way to his motorcycle.

Little did they know, that from one of the windows was Asami watching them leave, a smile on her face.

"What is it babe?" Iroh brought her another cup.

"We should go to your place tonight," she smirked. "I think my dorm might be taken."

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**Author Note: **Happy 20th Birthday Maggie!


End file.
